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00:00Many of us dream of making a break for the countryside.
00:04Oh, look at that!
00:07And we're here to help people take that rural leap of faith.
00:12You're kidding!
00:14You don't disappoint, I'll give you that.
00:17We venture to the four corners of the UK searching for peaceful country properties
00:22Couldn't be more stunning, could it?
00:24Sold!
00:26In truly spectacular scenery.
00:28It is absolutely stunning, isn't it?
00:31I want to get inside and have a look.
00:33There's sheep in the field.
00:35It's an adventure of a lifetime.
00:38My heart is pounding in my chest, it really is.
00:40Wow!
00:42Oh my goodness me!
00:45Paving the way to a brand new lifestyle.
00:49It's like, yes, this is ours, and it's still unbelievable that it's actually ours.
00:54So join us as we catch up with those who transformed their lives when they escaped to the country.
01:19When it comes to buying your dream country home, some people want a property that is ready to go.
01:25You open the door, pop the kettle on, and boom, your new life starts straight away.
01:30Others are searching for a project.
01:32They don't see peeling wallpaper and crumbling fireplaces.
01:36They see potential.
01:37But whether you're a turnkey treasure hunter or a fixer-upper fanatic,
01:41your rural adventure could start the moment you step through that door.
01:47We begin today's show searching the lush countryside of West Sussex,
01:52before heading east to Norfolk, where in the summer of 2022 I went property shopping with Lou.
01:59And her remit? To find a home that captured the feeling of her childhood holidays in the county.
02:04But first, I'll be rendezvousing with Nicola and Nick, who this time last year were preparing to embark on a
02:12big move back to the UK after years living overseas.
02:21Both Nick and I are avid golfers, and we're at our golf club today, the Elves, playing in 44 degree
02:30heat and 90% humidity.
02:34Recently retired Nicola and her tunnelling engineer husband Nick had been living in Dubai for 15 years,
02:41when they enlisted our help to find them a country home on England's south coast, closer to their families.
02:48When somebody asked me the other day, what's the first thing you're going to do when you get back to
02:51the UK?
02:51And I said, well, it's going to take these two for a walk and then go into a pub.
02:55I can think of nothing better than doing that.
02:57They had already sold their three-bedroom semi-detached property, complete with outdoor pool, and have their heart set on
03:05returning home to Britain.
03:07It would be really, really nice to be able to have somewhere properly in the country where you can walk
03:13out of the back door or the front door, be in the fields, be in the woods, and enjoy everything
03:19that Britain has to offer.
03:21The couple wanted a detached character home with three bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen with doors to a garden,
03:30preferably one large enough to house a swimming pool.
03:33Avid golfers, they hoped to find a local club nearby.
03:37Happy with the project, their budget was £800,000, with a further £200,000 set aside for renovations.
03:47We kicked off our tour of West Sussex in the hamlet of Ifold, just a ten-minute drive from Nick's
03:53mother in the village of Billingshurst.
03:56Sitting on a quiet private road, I thought the house was an absolute gem, and the couple's first impressions suggested
04:03they did, too.
04:05Wow, that is cute.
04:06To be honest with you, this is actually way above what we imagined that we would actually be able to
04:13look at.
04:13Excellent.
04:14Stunning. Can't wait to get in.
04:15We were off to a flying start.
04:18Around 300 years old, the period cottage was one of the original lodge houses on the Ifold Estate.
04:25And cherry on the cake, the nearest golf course was just two miles away.
04:29We began the tour in the main reception room.
04:33Wow.
04:34Definitely got character.
04:35Yeah.
04:35Love the beams.
04:36Yes.
04:37And the fireplace.
04:38That is gorgeous.
04:40Can you imagine sitting here in wintertime?
04:41Oh, yeah.
04:42So cosy.
04:43But quite spacious, I have to say.
04:45It's quite light.
04:47I can't wait to see the rest of it.
04:49With the couple itching to see more, we continued on to the kitchen.
04:54I'm hoping this size works.
04:57Oh, wow, yes.
04:59A great view of the garden.
05:01It's like a park back there.
05:03It's a lovely kitchen.
05:04Great character as well.
05:06Well, the current owners always had plans to build out the back.
05:10But I think you'd be happy to start like this anyway.
05:12Absolutely.
05:13It's fantastic.
05:14It's really stunning as it is.
05:16A door at the far end of the kitchen led to a dining room.
05:20Upstairs, there were three bedrooms to explore, starting with the largest.
05:25It's lovely.
05:26Yeah.
05:27Stunning.
05:28Wow.
05:29And great views out the window.
05:30Look at this.
05:31And the wooden...
05:31This is what I wanted.
05:32It was wooden floors as well.
05:34It had an impressive ensuite, designed with a second door to also service the two further
05:39bedrooms at the front.
05:42Yeah.
05:44It's stunning.
05:44It's very spacious, isn't it?
05:46It is.
05:47And there's still scope for a little bit of a project as well.
05:51Yes.
05:51Outside, the surrounding land totaled half an acre and included a fenced off veggie plot,
05:57plus a detached garden studio.
06:01This is actually the perfect size garden.
06:03It is.
06:03This is really, really nice.
06:05It's not too big to be manageable.
06:07Yeah, and the dust could just run around easily, couldn't they?
06:09Let's talk business.
06:10How much do you think what's already here would cost you?
06:14I'm going to say maybe 850,000 pounds.
06:19Okay.
06:20I think a little bit more.
06:22I think 875,000 pounds.
06:25Okay.
06:26Nicola is spot on.
06:28It is on the market for 875,000 pounds.
06:33It was ready to go and within their total budget, but Nicola wasn't sold just yet.
06:41Brick House, love it, but I also want to see number two and number three.
06:46For our next stop, we ventured to the hamlet of Maplehurst.
06:50And next door to the friendly community pub sat the next property, a former innkeeper's house.
06:58I have to say the location for this one doesn't feel quite as...
07:04Private.
07:05It's not as private, yeah.
07:06It wasn't getting the rave reviews of our first house, but I was optimistic that what was inside this detached,
07:13double-fronted Edwardian home would really appeal.
07:17I'm wondering if this is...
07:19Wow.
07:21Wow, this is awesome.
07:23Okay.
07:23Lovely.
07:24Isn't it?
07:26The current owner had completely renovated throughout, and I sensed that the sociable kitchen would be right up Nicola and
07:34Nic's street.
07:35So I know I sort of was losing you out there.
07:38Little bit.
07:39But there was a reason I was bringing you in, because this reminded me a little bit of what you
07:42already have in Dubai.
07:44This is actually much nicer even than what we are moving from, so this is very, very nice.
07:48The couple also liked the style of the separate living room.
07:53Upstairs, the finish was just as exquisite.
07:55The largest bedroom had a roomy ensuite bathroom, which also served, via a second door, another two bedrooms.
08:06Nice size rooms.
08:07It's got a fireplace, which is lovely.
08:08Yep.
08:09And the ensuite bathroom.
08:12The second bedroom was in use as a study, and the third was again a double.
08:17But Nic and Nicola weren't exactly jumping for joy.
08:20I was hoping the garden would lift their spirits, but it was going to need some imagination.
08:25They had said they wanted a bit of a project, though.
08:32This outside space is here to test your vision.
08:35It needs a bit of TLC.
08:36A little bit, yeah.
08:37And it's got potential, though.
08:38I mean, it's got a nice kind of size.
08:40You could put a pool in, and there's enough space for the doggies.
08:43I'd like the project to be a little bit less intense than you would need to put the vision.
08:50Out here, really?
08:51In this particular space.
08:52Yeah.
08:52Shall we price the property here?
08:55I would say £675,000.
08:59I'm going to say £750,000.
09:02It's actually on the market for offers over £800,000.
09:08It might have been within budget, but the property just didn't wow them.
09:13As lovely as it is, I just don't think the location is right.
09:16Absolutely.
09:17Same here.
09:18I didn't get the same feeling that I got when I first saw house number one.
09:28As the sun set on our first day in Sussex, it was clear that Nicola and Nic's hearts were lost
09:34to our first property.
09:36A picture perfect three centuries old English gem that they could move straight into.
09:42But let's not forget they were also willing to get their hands dirty with the project.
09:47So for our mystery house, we went with even more history, even more character, even more English.
09:53Thatch anyone? With a little bit more work.
09:58And the location married countryside with coast, situated in the hamlet of North Burstead, on the outskirts of the seaside
10:06town of Bognor Regis.
10:09The couple seemed to love the quaint setting and the visual appeal of this grade two listed thatched cottage.
10:16It's cute.
10:17Wow.
10:17And it's thatched.
10:18I do know the insulation properties.
10:21So actually from a sustainability perspective, the thatch is very, very good.
10:28Music to my ears.
10:30And those positive reactions continued as we headed through the front door into a spacious entrance come dining hall.
10:37Wow.
10:38Lovely fireplace.
10:39Yeah, gorgeous fireplace.
10:41It led through to a room in use as an office, but I wanted to show them the huge rear
10:47extension.
10:48I had to bring you straight into this.
10:51Wow.
10:52This is not what you expect, is it?
10:55No.
10:55And it's lovely.
10:56It's a great entertainment area.
10:58I knew this 18th century house would pleasantly surprise them.
11:02Also down on the ground floor was a characterful living room with another Englenook fireplace,
11:08and a door that led to a staircase to the first floor where there were five bedrooms and a bathroom.
11:16I would see us probably converting or merging some of the rooms and making more en suites.
11:22Because I think there's only one bathroom.
11:26Outside, a 78 foot garden was ready to be landscaped, which stretched down to, wait for it, a pool house.
11:37Oh my gosh.
11:38With a 30 foot long heated swimming pool.
11:42My word, I did not expect this up here.
11:45Where would you price it?
11:47I'm saying, let's go £800,000.
11:49OK.
11:51I'll go a little bit more than Nicola, £825,000.
11:55Ooh.
11:56£825,000.
11:58OK.
11:59It is on the market for £850,000.
12:05OK.
12:06Despite their genuine delight at seeing a property with a pool, they both felt there was too much work required
12:13to make this house perfect for them.
12:17So I had shown the couple a real range of properties across West Sussex.
12:22Some requiring more vision than others, but truth be told, there was a clear front runner and there always had
12:28been right from the very start.
12:35Almost an entire year later, I find myself back to where it all began on the peaceful and private lane
12:42that leads to the very first property that I showed Nick and Nicola, which can only mean one thing.
12:47They only went and bought it.
12:51Well, they were captivated by this delightful period cottage from the moment they laid eyes on it, and who can
12:58blame them?
13:00I can't wait to see how they've settled in.
13:03Such a gorgeous house.
13:05That chimney.
13:06Hello.
13:07Hello.
13:08Welcome.
13:10Oh, hello.
13:12Welcome.
13:13Hello.
13:13This is Sam and Eva.
13:14I've heard so much about you, Sam and Eva.
13:17Lovely.
13:17Thank you very much.
13:18You're back home.
13:21Welcome.
13:21Come in and have a look.
13:23Come on, you two.
13:24Here we come.
13:28I remember this, where you said the floor would suit the dogs.
13:33I know.
13:34It's lovely.
13:34It's lovely and cool in the summer.
13:36And all our furniture fitted in from Dubai, so, yeah, we're very happy.
13:40Oh, yes, of course.
13:40Everything kind of just slotted into place quite nicely.
13:42The dining room, we had a sideboard that fits in, and it's about that space either side.
13:47It was just amazing how everything fit, so it's, yeah, it's perfect.
13:51Are you using that dining room? Such a lovely room.
13:54Occasionally we do.
13:55If we have people around for dinner, we'll sit in there.
13:57We had a lovely Christmas in there.
13:58The whole family sitting around there, so it was very festive, wasn't it?
14:01Quite a Christmas.
14:01It was.
14:03It was.
14:03They've only been in a few months, but no surprises that Nick and Nicola have big ambitions
14:08to put their stamp on this place.
14:12Oh, yes, there were extension plans, weren't there, when we were looking around the house?
14:17They had some plans, but what we want to do is something slightly different.
14:22So, the plan is then to level everything to this side, extend it out, but then purpose-built,
14:28so we can get it sustainable, we can get it open-plan, we can switch the side of the entrance,
14:36so you enter here.
14:38And I heard Nick had semi-retired.
14:40This sounds like a big new job to me.
14:42The couple want to extend at the back of the house to create an open-plan kitchen-dining living space.
14:51So, down this way, open-plan through here, all the way to the bifolding doors on the right-hand side
14:58will be the kitchen.
14:59And then, like an L-shape at the end, will be more of a daytime living room.
15:04I wasn't expecting this, an almost total reconfiguration of the ground floor.
15:11Upstairs, the plans are just as grand.
15:16So, this is our main bedroom.
15:18So, is the gorgeous bathroom staying as part of the renovation?
15:22No, no, that's one of the things that needs to change.
15:26That's what sold the house!
15:27A view from the bathroom. Yes.
15:29That was one of the things that really sold the house.
15:32Yeah.
15:32But those steps up, and that low door...
15:37You don't want to keep crawling into your bathroom, I get it.
15:40I knocked my head on that door so many times.
15:42And those steps, it's all a little bit uncomfortable.
15:47Nick and Nicola are hoping to block off the door from the current main bedroom
15:51and reconfigure the bathroom to create a guest bathroom, a main bedroom and an en suite.
15:59The old part of the house, we're not going to touch. No.
16:03Oh, OK, fine. At all.
16:04At all. That is part of the charm. Yes.
16:07That absolutely sold the house to us in the first place.
16:10And we have to keep for ourselves all the charm and beauty of this old part.
16:19Having only been in the house a few months and with this huge project on the cards,
16:24it's hard to imagine that they've had the time to focus on anything else,
16:28but they've already become active members of the community.
16:32So while Nick practises his golf swing...
16:38Have a look down at your feet.
16:39Nicola's taking me to meet some of their new social circle at her local yoga class.
16:45Open your arms out wide, reach up and perhaps cast your gaze up a little bit.
16:53I'm going to be like the mischievous girl in the back of the yoga class,
16:57which is disturbing everyone. Emma, I know you're one of Nicola's new mates.
17:03Oh, yes. Here. What's the goss?
17:06So, Nicola and Nick came to one of our social events here in the hall.
17:10I'm on the Residence Association and they are good nights.
17:13Plenty of dancing and drinking and they definitely fit right in.
17:18It's got such a good community and this is the heart of it.
17:22Location was always a huge factor in their move
17:25and it sounds like they've found a fabulous community close to Nick's family
17:29and Nicola's sister is just an hour away now,
17:32which means I get to catch up with her today.
17:37You don't need a DNA test to tell that this is Nicola's sister.
17:41And one of the reasons that she wanted to move...
17:44The only reason.
17:46Yes, that's what we're telling everyone, the only reason.
17:49Was that just an absolute joy to hear that she's moving back?
17:53Over the moon, yeah.
17:55Did you think she would settle in so quickly?
17:57Because it's less than a year that we were here in this village showing her that house.
18:03Amazingly quickly, yes.
18:04It's found some fantastic friends in the lovely village.
18:08It's fabulous for her.
18:11Between project planning, parties and new pals,
18:14Nic's also found the time to rekindle his love for an old sport.
18:21Is it safe to come in?
18:23Yes.
18:24So this is where you've been hanging out now that you're semi-retired and you've made the move properly?
18:29Yes, one of those places.
18:30I've been very lucky that one of our neighbours that we met at one of the social events mentioned he
18:37played squash.
18:38I said, that's fantastic, I love to play squash, I haven't played for years.
18:43And he welcomed me down here, got me involved and, yeah, thoroughly enjoying it.
18:50Can you already see a difference between Dubai, Nic, and Sussex, Nic?
18:54Oh, yeah. Definitely.
18:56A lot more relaxed, a lot more comfortable in myself.
19:00What has it felt like coming back to where you went to school?
19:04Oh, that's been brilliant.
19:06But what's really nice is that, again, few people have reached out, connections.
19:11My old PE teacher, from when I was at school 45 years ago,
19:19he's connected me to the cricket club Old Boys, and there's probably 20 guys.
19:25All of the names I recognised from when I was playing cricket from 11 years up to 19.
19:31That's incredible.
19:33Right, you ready to see some bad squash playing now?
19:36OK, let's go for it.
19:38You can return these ones.
19:44Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.
19:48It sounds like the locals have well and truly embraced Nic and Nicola, and vice versa.
19:53But I want to find out if the move really was as effortless as it looks.
20:01So when I left you nearly a year ago, you were going to go back to Dubai
20:06and you were going to extend your stay, which would include a second viewing of this property.
20:13Right, yes.
20:14And we did, and we came to see this property, had another look around.
20:18But I said to Nic, we cannot put an offer in the first house we see.
20:21I mean, it just sounds ridiculous.
20:23So I stayed and then saw another ten properties.
20:26What?
20:28Ten?
20:28Ten, yeah.
20:29Well, and some beautiful homes.
20:31I was slightly offended.
20:32I was sold as I walked in off the drive.
20:34Yes.
20:34You needed to see 12 more houses.
20:37I did, yes.
20:38So yes, it kind of reassured us that this was the right property.
20:41It was on for £875,000, if my memory serves me correct.
20:47That's right.
20:47Yes.
20:48So I think we got it for £860,000 in the end.
20:54You say in the end, did it take a couple of back and forth conversations?
20:58Yeah, there was just a bit of negotiation wasn't there.
21:00Once you put an offer in, it sounds like it all moved quite quickly.
21:05It did, unbelievably quickly, didn't it?
21:07Yeah.
21:08We transferred here beginning of November, wasn't it?
21:11Yes.
21:12And then, yeah, we moved in, once the container arrived, end of November.
21:16It just all went so smoothly, unbelievably smoothly.
21:19I know you've only just moved back, really, a few months ago.
21:21Have you had time to sit down together and go,
21:23oh, my gosh, we did it?
21:25I know.
21:26We do that, don't we?
21:26Breakfast time, we go, we own this.
21:29It's like, yes, this is ours.
21:30And it's still unbelievable that it's actually ours.
21:33And when you say we've only been here for three months,
21:38it doesn't feel like it.
21:39It actually feels like I've been here forever.
21:49For our next country stroll down memory lane,
21:53we are jumping back to the summer of 2022
21:56when I came property shopping here in Norfolk
21:59with a buyer who wanted her new life
22:01to feel like one long, continuous holiday.
22:04It's the dream, right?
22:08I started coming down to Norfolk,
22:10well, literally when I was in my mum's tummy,
22:12when my dad bought a place in Bacton
22:14and over the years grew of coming to visit,
22:16I just absolutely fell in love with the place.
22:18It's got so many happy memories for me.
22:20With every passing holiday in the county,
22:23Lou began to question why she was ever living anywhere else.
22:27That's why I feel like it would be just so amazing
22:29to be able to just wake up every day
22:31and feel like you're on holiday.
22:33I know you still have work to do,
22:34but I just think it just feels too much like home
22:37to ignore it anymore.
22:39So Lou had ambitions to leave Cambridgeshire
22:41but didn't plan to slow down.
22:45I couldn't use this opportunity
22:46to potentially start the holiday-let business
22:50which I've always dreamt of doing.
22:52She was moving alone
22:53but joining her in her search
22:55was her partner of 18 months, Steve.
22:58Ever since I've known her,
22:59she's always talked about her ambition to move to Norfolk
23:01and I can really see myself moving to Norfolk
23:05at some point in the future.
23:06It's also very good at DIY.
23:09There's a good person to have along.
23:12Lou was looking for a character property,
23:15ideally detached with at least two bedrooms.
23:18She wanted a minimum of half an acre of land
23:21and holiday-let potential.
23:23Armed with a budget of £650,000,
23:26she could stretch to £700,000 for the perfect home.
23:33Our search began in the village of Suffield,
23:36just a 20-minute drive from Bacton Beach.
23:39Here we are, house number one.
23:41Lovely.
23:43Looks very exciting.
23:44Beautiful front door and a nice front garden.
23:47It was a strong start.
23:49The semi-detached cottage dated back to the 18th century
23:53but we started our viewing in a much newer extension.
23:56Built in 2007 from green oak with a copper roof,
24:01it had its own front door and entrance hall.
24:04Oh, my goodness.
24:06Oh, this is nice.
24:09So nice, though.
24:10I love all the wood as well.
24:11Yeah, the beams and things, yeah.
24:12They've done it really nicely.
24:14You'll want to keep this for yourself.
24:16Yeah.
24:16But I think this could make lovely guest accommodation.
24:20Yeah, definitely.
24:21And there's a bathroom just there as well,
24:23at the shower room,
24:24so actually you really can have it as a self-contained bit.
24:29I could tell Lou was keen
24:30and I hoped she felt the same
24:32about the older part of the property.
24:34There's another front door,
24:35so this is a dining room
24:37but you could have it as a sitting room or hallway,
24:40depending on how you use the space.
24:43Yeah.
24:43And then this comes into what would be your kitchen.
24:46I think we have a dining area anyway.
24:47Yes, exactly.
24:48That looks out onto the garden.
24:52Yeah.
24:52It's lovely.
24:53It is nice.
24:54Yeah.
24:57There was a further reception room with feature fireplace
25:00flowing through to the main entrance hall,
25:03where a staircase led to a contemporary family bathroom
25:06with a separate bath and shower,
25:08serving three double bedrooms.
25:11We headed straight for the largest.
25:15They are a lovely room.
25:17I really like it.
25:18There's so many features everywhere.
25:20I love the old beams as well.
25:22I just love the colour scheme.
25:23The way they've done it out is actually very similar to my choice anyway,
25:26so not too much work to do.
25:28It feels really good actually.
25:29I'm liking this place a lot.
25:31It ticks pretty much all my boxes so far.
25:34But there was a compromise with this property.
25:37Lou wanted half an acre,
25:39and the garden was about a quarter of an acre.
25:41But it did have a second holiday-let option.
25:47Oh, wow.
25:49Goodness me.
25:50It's not too shabby, is it?
25:52It's gorgeous.
25:54And another business opportunity.
25:56Or Steve's place.
25:57Yeah.
25:57Or mine.
25:58It's too good for Steve, isn't it?
26:00Absolutely.
26:02The house has a guide price of £595,000.
26:09Ooh.
26:10Ooh.
26:11Interesting.
26:12Which is great.
26:13Yeah, that's music to my ears.
26:15There were plenty of positives at my first offering,
26:18but still room for improvement.
26:22I'm really excited having seen this.
26:24If there's anything that probably this property may be lacking a bit for me,
26:27it's probably space in the garden.
26:30I would love to have that extra bit of space.
26:33The next stop was the village of Great Wichingham,
26:37a part of Norfolk that Lou knew less well.
26:40But this property had ready-made business potential,
26:43which is where we started the tour.
26:46So this is something I think that would be lovely for guests.
26:51Yeah.
26:51Very pretty.
26:52Looks lovely.
26:52Really self-contained and not directly on the doorstep of the main property,
26:56which is nice, with its own parking.
26:57It's very open.
26:58Yeah, there's lots of space here.
27:00Yeah.
27:00I thought this lodge would make a superb holiday let,
27:03with its cosy, double-bedroom, en-suite and open-plan living room.
27:09Ooh.
27:10That's lovely.
27:11It's cute, isn't it?
27:12Oh, that's so sweet.
27:13Yeah.
27:14It's got a nice layout, isn't it?
27:15Yeah.
27:15It's got a nice feel to it.
27:16You like to live here, don't you?
27:18Well, it could be your first guess.
27:20Yes.
27:21Yeah.
27:22There was even more potential in the five-bed main house,
27:25where we headed next, entering via the back and straight into the kitchen.
27:32I think, styling-wise, this space is quite similar to that potential holiday let.
27:38It is, isn't it?
27:39Yeah.
27:39It's lovely, actually.
27:40It all looks quite new.
27:43Next to this was a large living and dining room, sitting in the oldest part,
27:48thought to date back to the early 1800s.
27:51The owner has looked into renting this house out.
27:56Oh, okay.
27:57And in peak time...
27:58Yeah.
27:58..he says you could get around £2,500 a week.
28:02Really?
28:02Gosh.
28:04Now, think about £10,000 over a month in the summer.
28:07Yeah.
28:07Why would you not do that in many ways?
28:09Exactly.
28:10And in the summer, to live in that lovely cabin, a really good idea.
28:13Gosh, hadn't thought of that.
28:14It is.
28:14But, yeah, I would have no problem living over there at all.
28:19Downstairs, there was an en-suite double.
28:22Then the remaining four bedrooms upstairs were all recently refurbished
28:27and a contemporary family bathroom served three of them.
28:31The fifth and final bedroom was the biggest.
28:36Wow.
28:38Gosh.
28:39That's a room and a half, isn't it?
28:41It's like a show home, isn't it?
28:42It really is.
28:44Once again, I succeeded in pleasantly surprising Lou and Steve
28:48when I revealed that all of it was on the market for offers over £640,000,
28:54giving Lou a lot to think about.
28:57It's a difficult one because the business side of it is really enticing.
29:02But then I think, am I doing what I've done with all my last few houses?
29:04I've moved about five times in the last ten years,
29:07and would this then end up being another maybe just a few years and then move again?
29:19After our first two properties, I felt confident I'd shown Lou two genuine contenders,
29:25each with ready-to-go holiday-let possibilities.
29:28But for our mystery house, well, it was a case of, if you build it, they will come.
29:35We hopped in the car and headed to the village of Beatley,
29:39where the mystery house offered a good old chunk of Norfolk bricks and mortar,
29:43but an even bigger slice of Norfolk terrain.
29:47Welcome.
29:48To the mystery house, which, as you can tell, used to be stables.
29:52Yeah.
29:52All of this?
29:54All of this.
29:55Wow.
29:56Perfect.
29:57Can't wait to see inside.
29:58The building dated back to the mid-1800s,
30:01and the present owners had lived there for more than 20 years.
30:05Now, I'm wondering if this is more the rural idyll that you had in mind.
30:10Oh, yes.
30:11Oh, my goodness.
30:12There's so much character here.
30:14And this is just the carport area.
30:16I know.
30:17That is enough.
30:19At the other end of the carport were several outbuildings that could be converted,
30:24subject, of course, to planning permission.
30:26But we started our viewing in the main house.
30:30Oh, it's got a lovely feel, hasn't it?
30:33It's a nice kitchen.
30:34Yeah.
30:34It's a proper country kitchen, isn't it?
30:36It's just got so much character, so many lovely features.
30:40It's this really quiet here as well.
30:42Nice views.
30:43Love this gorgeous wood as well.
30:46Beautiful.
30:48The kitchen led to a large reception room and a charming sunroom,
30:52with views straight out across the generous garden.
30:56That is a view and a half, isn't it?
30:59How perfect would this be for dogs as well?
31:01It'd be great.
31:02It's great.
31:03The sunroom led to an inner hallway, off which was a good-sized double bedroom,
31:08a family bathroom with separate bath and shower,
31:11and another large double that overlooked the rear garden.
31:16Great view.
31:16Yeah, beams and a view.
31:19But it was the outside I was really excited about,
31:23where not one but two acres of land awaited.
31:28You've got outbuildings that you can do something with.
31:31Or that as well?
31:32Yurts or tents or...
31:34Oh, wow.
31:35Oh, my goodness.
31:35Shepherds' Huts.
31:36You could do anything you wanted with this land.
31:38Yeah, I mean, I can see a massive amount of potential here.
31:42It is currently on the market for £550,000.
31:47It's just been reduced.
31:49Really?
31:50Yes.
31:51Coming in at £100,000 under budget,
31:55the Mystery House was another great option
31:57and left Lou with some big decisions.
32:02We had presented Lou and Steve with three very different homes,
32:06introducing some different areas across the county.
32:09Each property was packed full of potential for a holiday business,
32:13offering variations on the lifestyle Lou could experience
32:17once relocating to Norfolk.
32:20But in the end, sadly none of our selection gave her
32:24the feeling she was searching for.
32:30After we left her, Lou continued her Norfolk property search
32:34and found her dream home eventually.
32:36Or rather, what would be her dream home
32:38because in typical Lou style, she went for a bit of a project
32:42and after months of living amongst the dust and the dirt,
32:46she has finished and the result takes your breath away.
32:52In the autumn of 2023, over a year after I first met Lou,
32:57she bought this breathtaking three-bedroom cottage
33:01in the village of East Beckham,
33:03just half an hour's drive from her father in Bacton.
33:11Hello.
33:12Hello.
33:12Is that you shadow knocking?
33:14Yes.
33:15How are you?
33:16I'm good.
33:17How are you?
33:17I'm good, thank you.
33:19It's nice to see you.
33:20Nice to see you again.
33:21Welcome.
33:21Do you live on a film set?
33:25No.
33:25No, but it's a nice little slice of the countryside, isn't it?
33:30Honestly, I don't know what to say.
33:32I'm looking around and every little detail is gorgeous.
33:36That's the reaction you wanted.
33:38Not to look up close, but...
33:39Steve, I feel like that's the reaction you wanted.
33:42I know how much hard work has gone in.
33:45Yes.
33:45There has been a bit of blood, sweat and tears.
33:48All right.
33:48Show me around.
33:49Show me around.
33:50Come on through.
33:51Oh, this is for you, by the way.
33:52Oh, thank you.
33:53This is just your pet plant.
33:55Thank you so much.
33:56That's lovely.
33:58Blood, sweat and tears, and I thought Lou was looking for that relaxing holiday feeling.
34:03I am intrigued.
34:09This is stunning.
34:11Welcome to the lounge.
34:14This detail on the wall.
34:16Yes.
34:16Where you can see the brick.
34:19Yes.
34:19It seemed a shame to cover it all up.
34:21It was...
34:22There were so many lovely old parts to the house that I really wanted to embrace and show off.
34:28What did the house look like?
34:29Because I hear it's a project, your face says it was a project.
34:33It was a project, wasn't it?
34:34Because it hadn't been lived in for years.
34:36I stripped everything.
34:37A lot of the walls needed damp proofing, so literally all the walls in here had to come off.
34:42And also the beams were quite dark, so that made it quite oppressive.
34:45So I lightened up the beams.
34:47And then decorating and new carpets and things, really.
34:50How soon after seeing the house did you see the potential that you had the...
34:55Did you always know your house would look like this?
34:57I didn't get that feeling when I first came, strangely enough.
34:59And it was only when I went away and thought about it and I saw the potential and I thought,
35:02actually, this has got everything that I was wanting.
35:05Oh yes, it didn't have as much land, because do you remember I wanted quite a lot of land?
35:08Yes, I remember.
35:09I didn't think that was the thing.
35:09I didn't think that was the thing.
35:10You were giving me acres of land.
35:12But yeah, it was just that thing that you don't know what it is that's the magic.
35:18So it wasn't land she wanted.
35:21It was a project all along.
35:23Well, they do say, when you know, you know.
35:25And this was no small project.
35:28Lou has completely renovated throughout, creating a cosy snug,
35:33a stylish dining room,
35:38and a gorgeous new kitchen.
35:42Oh, cute!
35:44I think so.
35:44This had a completely new kitchen,
35:46new flooring,
35:47but also a new electric fuse box and everything as well in here.
35:51So it was still quite a lot of work.
35:53Really, it sounds like it's just the exterior shell that has been kept.
35:58Yeah, yeah.
35:59If I knew it was going to be like that,
36:01I probably would have been a bit more daunted.
36:02But I think that I discovered that as I started doing the work.
36:06So maybe to your benefit, actually.
36:08Yeah, probably a good idea.
36:08So you thought it was a smaller project than it really was?
36:11Probably, yeah.
36:12You've done a great job.
36:15I get a bit obsessed.
36:17As you will vouch for.
36:19He's only just reaping the benefits of relaxing at the weekends now.
36:22Every time he came up, it was just exhausting, wasn't it?
36:25It'd leave a shell of a man.
36:28Upstairs, Lou's elegant style continues through a cosy double bedroom
36:32with exposed beams, a second smaller room
36:35and the principal ensuite bedroom.
36:40None of the bedrooms are very large, really,
36:42but I love the detail on this wall.
36:44And to wake up to those lovely beams as well is really nice.
36:47It's the view as well.
36:48I love the view out of this window.
36:50It just is stunning.
36:52Yeah, it's been lovely, hasn't it?
36:53Just to enjoy it.
36:54And having friends and family come and stay has been really nice.
36:57You've become everyone else's holiday home.
37:00Yeah, that's true.
37:00But you said that to me, you wanted the holiday for life.
37:04Yeah, and that is how it feels, honestly.
37:06I do wake up excited every morning just what the day is going to bring
37:10and to be surrounded by everything here.
37:12It's just beautiful.
37:15Lou has definitely been busy, but it's not all dust sheets and DIY.
37:19She fosters and rehomes dogs,
37:22which has also been a great way of connecting with people.
37:25Today, her new mate, Sheila, is stopping by.
37:31Well, Sheila, I hear that Lou has made lots of friends already here in Norfolk.
37:36Yes, yes.
37:38Through the dogs, haven't we?
37:39As soon as she spoils me.
37:40Aww.
37:40She cocks for me.
37:41You were looking for some company, another dog.
37:44Yes.
37:45My previous greyhound had died.
37:47My husband had died eight years ago now.
37:51And we'd had rescue dogs all our lives.
37:54And I wanted...
37:55Well, I got the difference to anything rescue I'd ever had before.
37:58I know.
37:59I never had a hairy one before.
38:02She cost me more in groomers than I go in hairdressers.
38:05And cleaning.
38:06Yeah.
38:08And, yes, I gained a friend.
38:10We've done lots of things ever since.
38:13While Lou catches up with Sheila, I'm off to find her partner, Steve,
38:17if he's not busy with his toolkit.
38:21I'm genuinely glad I managed to sneak you away
38:24before Lou grabbed you for another job.
38:27I just feel like that sometimes.
38:29But they're getting smaller and fewer, so it's a positive.
38:33Do you think Lou has changed, certainly since the work has finished,
38:37but since moving here to Norfolk
38:40and finally making Norfolk her home?
38:43I wouldn't say she's necessarily changed as a person.
38:46She's definitely more content.
38:48She always was a bit frustrated.
38:50She couldn't put more effort and energy into dog rescue.
38:53She always wanted to spend more time walking and exploring
38:55and seeing friends and having time for that.
38:58And she does have that here.
39:00And she's making loads of new friends, which is great.
39:02The time and love that is going into this property is obvious
39:06and Lou seems to have smoothly settled into country life.
39:10But there's one thing I am wondering.
39:12Lou initially wanted a holiday-let business
39:15and I don't see any sign of that around here.
39:18So I'm sitting down with the couple to hear the full story.
39:24Being close to Bacton was the central thing for you
39:29because you were moving up to be closer to your dad.
39:33Yeah, but he sadly passed three months after getting here,
39:36which was unexpected and very sad.
39:38I'm so sorry.
39:39Yeah, thank you.
39:40But he did get to see the property
39:42and he did make it up the stairs to see all of it,
39:44which was lovely.
39:45And he was really supportive about it.
39:47But I've since moved my mum up here as well.
39:49So she's now 10 minutes down the road,
39:52which is great to have her nearby.
39:54And then with dad's passing,
39:56he left the bungalow at Bacton for me to look after.
40:00So I've been doing that and renovating that slightly as well.
40:04And it's been great because, again,
40:06friends and family have been able to use that still too.
40:09So I think he'd be pleased with how that stand out as well.
40:12So you are running the holiday lit business.
40:14It's just not a business.
40:15Yeah.
40:16So the holiday lit business actually...
40:19No.
40:19You're not going to pursue that?
40:20No, I won't pursue that.
40:21No, no.
40:22It's sort of busy.
40:23I don't know where the days go,
40:24but it's been busy enough with the renovation
40:26and with dad's perry bait, moving mum up here,
40:29and then the dog stuff.
40:30Your budget with me was up to...
40:34I think it's £6.50.
40:36Do you mind me asking how much you ended up getting this for?
40:39Yeah, I got it for £5.75 in the end.
40:41It had been on for about £100,000 more.
40:43And then that money, I guess, has gone on to...
40:45It's all gone sunk straight in.
40:48Yeah, very quickly evaporated.
40:49Because the survey uncovered so much
40:52and the foam in the roof, which was the biggest problem,
40:54so I knew I'd have to take the whole roof off.
40:56It also needed a new cesspit as well,
40:58so that was quite a big expense.
41:00Lou, now that you've been there, done that,
41:02you're the perfect person to give advice
41:04to someone who's thinking about this.
41:06They want to move.
41:07Yeah.
41:08The amount of people that say it to me.
41:10Yeah.
41:10But always put it off.
41:12I know.
41:12What would you say?
41:13So many people procrastinate
41:14and I just think, genuinely, life can be very short
41:17and you'll just regret it.
41:18I regret not doing it sooner.
41:20And I just think you've got to take that chance
41:23because you'll never know and you'll always wonder.
41:25And people say, what if it goes wrong?
41:27But what if it goes right?
41:29Right.
41:30I couldn't agree more.
41:31What a life Lou is carving out for herself here.
41:34One DIY project at a time.
41:37So I suppose it's only fair I roll up my sleeves
41:39and get stuck in before I go.
41:43I hear you do this with everyone.
41:45Everyone who visits...
41:45Yes, they have a job.
41:46They have to earn their cup of tea.
41:48Exactly.
41:48I've got five of these gates.
41:50Is that all right before you go?
41:52Right.
41:53Are you done now with the renovations?
41:56There's a couple of little bits.
41:57Not here.
41:58Oh, right.
41:59Here you can carry on.
42:00Yeah, I think so.
42:02But in terms of moving again.
42:03No.
42:04I think this is a forever home here now.
42:06I can't quite believe it.
42:07I do have to pinch myself sometimes and think
42:10that I don't have to go home this time.
42:12I am home.
42:13And that's a really lovely feeling.
42:20There is no right or wrong way to make a house your own,
42:23whether like Nicola and Nick, you choose a property that's ready to move into
42:28and then over time put your own stamp on it.
42:30Or like Lou, you pick a project that needs immediate love and attention.
42:35Whichever path you choose, I think the result is always the same.
42:39A house to call your own.
42:41Because at the end of the day, it isn't just about the bricks and mortar.
42:44It's about the life you build inside.
42:48If you also dream of escaping to the country in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
42:54and would like our help, why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part.
43:30You
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